Synchronized entertainment apparatus



,W. H. BRISTOL.

SYNCHRONIZED ENTERTAINMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25,1919.

1,396,401, Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

W. H. BRISTOL. SYNCHRONIZED ENTERTAINMENT APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 25.1919.

1,396,401. Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W/Zlil/IZZEB/ Z510! W. H. BRISTOL.

SYNCHRONIZED ENTERTAINMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY25, l9l9.

1,896,401 Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

amoewtoc [Mimi/E3775 Z05 351 f mom m4 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. BRISTOL, OF WATERI BURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRISTOL COMPANY OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

I I, SYNCHBONIZED ENTERTAINMENT APPARATUS.

in all whom a may mm.-

chronized Entertainment Apparatus, of

which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the operation of automatically synchronized apparatus, more particularly to the synchronous operation of a plurality of entertainment mechanisms, such as motion picture taking and projecting apparatus, sound reproducing machines, piano-players, musical instruments and the like. In a prior Patent, No. 1,234,127, granted to me the 24th day of July, 1917, I have disclosed apparatus whereby the synchronization of such apparatus may be effected in a most satisfactory manner; and in a further Patent, No. 1,234,170, granted July 24th, 1917 to Manfred J. Johnson, further means are disclosed whereby the ap paratus may be conveniently and accurately re-synchronized should the respective members for any reason get out of step.

In the operation of the system disclosed in-the aforesaid patents, one of the various members to be synchronized is positively driven and its rotation is communicated through the medium of synchronized transmitting and receivingmembers to one or' more further entertainment mechanisms which it is intended shall operate in syn chronism with the positivelydriven mechanism. In certain instances, it has been found that to obtain a very fine regulation or governing of one of the entertainment mechanisms, as the talking machine, it is more satisfactory toprovide positive driving means for each of the various mechanisms rather than to transmit the rotation of a single positively driven mechanismto the other or others.

For example, in the making of piano records by perforating .'a paper strip synchronously with the production of a phonographic record, it has been found that if the apparatus for perforating the former be drlven from the apparatus cutting the latter,

the phonographic apparatus is not likely to function satisfactorily,"in that its governing mechanism does. not operate with suflicient precision due to the considerable variation of power required by the piano record-mak- Specification of Letters Patent.

ing apparatus under the Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Application filed July 25, 1919. Serial No. 318,263.

changing effort resultmg from the varying number of keys placed n action. In accordance with the present lnvention, this variable load on the one apparatus does not react on the other, for 6 example a talking machine; and it is possible to successfully make a plurality of records of different character simultaneously, that 1s to say a phonographic record may be se-, cured synchronously with a piano or organ 6 record and a motion picture film, each being effected under the proper conditions of speed requisite for the particular device. In startlng and stopping, moreover, a minimumof inertia only need be overcome and shock is 7 obviated. I The present invention, therefore, has for its object to provide means which will enable the various entertainment mechanisms to be individually driven and still positively 7 be maintained in synchronism with each other; that is to say, while ,one mechanism may require only a slight driving power and be susceptible to close regulation as by a sensitive governing device, for example in 3 the case of a talking machine, another may be driven with considerable power, for example as a motion picture machine, the same having its speed accurately controlled by the governing device of the aforesaid mecha- 3 nism. In this manner, while absolute synchronism is maintained, each device is provided with the requisite driving power and the velocity of rotation of all accurately governed. The arrangement, moreover, is 9 such that, especially for the mechanism requiring the greater power, substantially full torque is available at all speeds and no sudden starting effort is met with resulting, frequently, 1n case ofa motion picture ap- 9 paratus, in tearing of the film.

The nature of the invention, however, will be best understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, n Q -z 1 Figure 1 illustrates, diagrammatically, the general arrangement of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the talking machine portion of the apparatus; and Fig. 3

is a similar view of the motion picture por-- Referring to the drawings, the general lay said out of the system is shown more particu larly in Fig. 1 of the drawings, wherein the apparatus is shown more or, less diagrammatically and the electrical connections between same indicated. Although for the sake of simplicity but two mechanisms-a phonographic device and a motion picture apparatus-are shown interconnected, yet

it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to such combination, but contemplates the simultaneous operation of two or more entertainment devices. as more especially set forth in my aforesaid prior U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,234,127. In the arrangement shown in the drawings herewith, 10 designates a talking machine ofany wellknown construction provided with a governing device 11 which may be of well-known or special construction and is designed to maintain constant the rotation of the turntable 12 of said talking machine and in conformity with the particular pitch required. The turn-table 12 may be driven in any convenient manner, and as shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, is driven from a motor 13 through the medium of a belt 14. The spindle 15 of the turn-tableis extended and connected to the rotor shaft 16 of a'transmitter member 17 of synchronizing apparatus, such as set forth in the U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,234,121, communicating to the said transmitter member the velocity of rotation of the spindle 15 or a multiple thereof. The transmitter member ,17 is constructed similarly to the transmitter member disclosed in the aforesaid Letters Patent Nos. 1,234,127 and 1,234,170, and consists in general of a rotatable element or rotorand a coacting member or stator, the windings of the same being in inductive relationship to each other as primary and secondary. The transmitter member 17 is connected to a similarly constructed receiver or driven member 17 two leads 18 connecting the rotor portions in series and deriving energy from a suitable source of alternating current as the generator 19, while the stator members are intercon'nectedby means of three leads 20, as more particularly set forth in the aforesaid Letters Patent. In this manner, any movement of the rotor of the transmitter or driv mg member is simultaneously duplicated in the rotor of the receiver or driven member through the production of equalizing currents in the receiver member when the two rotatable members do not ocupy corresponding positions relatively to their stator members.- If desired, the stator member 21 of the transmitter 17 may also be arranged to be rotated as through a hand wheel 22 and bevel gears 23 to advance or retard the receiver with reference to the transmitter, as more particularly set forth in the afQL'QSaid U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,234,170.

but through a separate and distinct source,-

as for example a motor 31 which can thus be made of the desired capacity to provide ample starting torque. There is provided,

however, in accordance with the present invention, between said motor and the entertainment device as the motion picture machine 30 indicated, a speed gear 32 ofv suitable construction, and preferably a fluid gear 'such as of the type disclosed in U. S.

Letters Patent No. 1,220,424 granted March 27th, 1917 to Reynold J anney, the said speed gear being connected through coupling 33 with the motor 31, and through suitable gears and sprocket chain 34 to the shaft 35 for operating the motion picture machine at the required speed.

The speed gear 32 is so designed that the full power is delivered by same from the motor 31 to the shaft 35 of the motion picture machine, yet the velocity of rotation is controlled absolutely by the rotation given to a. further shaft 36, herein shown as extending at right angles to the power shaft 35. This shaft 36 may be rotated in any suitable manner as set forth in thesaid Letters Patent No; 1,220,424, but in accordance with the present invention is controlled by the rotation of the receiver or driven member to the rotor of which it-is suitably connected to partake of the rotation thereof.

In this manner, any movement of the transmitter rotor effects a corresponding movement of the shaft 35 of the motion picture machine 30, which latter will, therefore, faithfullyfollow the rotation of the talking machine turn-table 12 whose speed is governed with precision by the governing 'device 11. It will be appreciated, moreover,

velocity of rotation of the talking machine as set forth.

I claim:

1. Synchronized entertainment apparatus embodying rotatable entertainment mechanism, means to rotate same and governing means to maintain a constant rotational velocity thereof, additional entertainment mechanism, and independent driving means, connections between said additional enter- I tainmentmechanism and independent driv- .nections between said motion picture ma chine andindependent driving means, said connections including a speed gear, and speed regulating mechanism operatively associated with said speed gear and controlled by the governing means of the talking machine.

3. Synchronized motion picture and talking machine apparatus embodying a rotatable talking machine, means to rotate same 1 and governing means to maintain constant tlon picture machine and independent driv-- rotatlonal velocit thereof, a motion picture machine, an in ependent driving means, connections between said motion picture machine and independent driving means, said connections including a speed gear,

I and speed regulating mechanism operatively associated with said speed gear, synchronized with the talking machine and controlled by the governing means thereof.

4. Synchronlzedmotion picture and talking machine apparatus embodying a rotatable talking machine, means of relatively small power to rotate same and governing means to maintain constant rotational velocity thereof, a motion picture machine, an independent driving means of relatively large power, connections between said m0- lng means, said connections including a speed gear, and speed regulating mechaof the talking machine.

nism operatlvely associated with said speed gear and controlled by the governing means 5. Synchronized entertainment apparatus embodying a rotatable entertainment mechnism; means to rotate same and governing means to maintain a constant rotational velocity thereof, additional entertainment mechanism, an independent driving means,

connections between said additional entertainment mechanism and independent driving means, said connections including a speed gear, and speed regulating mechanism, comprising a rotatable receiver device including a stator member and arotor member, the rotor member thereof being connected to the said speer gear, and a transmitter device including a stator member and a rotor member, the latter being connected to the rotatable element of the first-named entertainment device, one of each of the transmitter and receiver devices of the regulating mechanism constituting an electrical field and the other an armature, a source of -alternating current, and electrical connections between said source and each of said transmitter and receiver devices, whereby equalizing currents are produced therein when the corresponding rotor members do not occupy corresponding positions relatively to their stator members.

i 6. Synchronized entertainment apparatus embodying a rotatable entertainment mechanism: means to rotate same and governing means to maintain a constant rotational velocity thereof, additional entertainment mechanism, an independent driving means, connections between said additional entertainment mechanism and independent driving means, said connections including a. speed gear, and speed regulating mechanism comprising a rotatable receiver device connected to t e said speed gear, and a transmitter device connected to the rotatable element of the first-named entertainment mechanism, the said receiver andtransmitter devices each having a primary and secondary winding, one of which is provided with a rotatable element, and a source of alternating current, the one set of windings being connected thereto and the other interconnected for the purposes of producing equalizing currents therein when the ro tatable elementsdo not occupy corresponding positions relatively to their coacting members.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 23rd day of July, A. D. 1919. V

- WILLIAM H. BRISTOL. 

